Many people have the perception that “carbohydrates” are bad for you. This is 100% not true – not all carbohydrates are bad for you, just like not all types of fat are bad for your either. This gross over generalization has caused “carb free” diets to become very popular, and this can deprive people of the energy they need to get through the day.

Knowing the difference between good carbs and bad carbs can make your dieting experience much more rewarding and less restricting. At VIP Medical Weight Loss, we have formulated a special Delray Beach Weight Loss Program to be customized to your age, current weight, medical history, as well as other factors that make you unique from other people. This includes the

What is a Carb?

A carb is short for carbohydrate. The type that we consume from food is broken down into glucose, which our bodies use as energy; thus, carbs are are very important for giving us the natural fuel to power through the day. Good carbs come from real food – anything naturally occurring. This includes vegetables, fruit, and unprocessed grains like oats or quinoa. Good carbs come from food that has not been altered in anyway, and have not had anything added to them. Natural food has a conglomeration of vitamins and minerals, rather than one isolated benefit or feature that bad carbs usually have.

Where Do Bad Carbs Come From?

Bad carbs come from processed food, and food that is dense in calories. Anything that is refined, such as sugar and grain, also produces bad carbohydrates. Some examples of refined sugars are sucrose, fructose, maltose dextrose, lactose, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, honey, fruit juice concentrates, and glucose. These simple sugars cause a spike in insulin from your pancreas, which will give you a temporary burst of energy but an equally large energy crash later on. All sugars are sweet carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are sugar. The process of refining sugars means to eliminate any colored particles or “impurities.” Raw sugar is typically refined to become the white table sugar that we all recognize. Super refined sugars have gone through an even longer sifting process to produce finer particles, yielding powdered sugar commonly used for baking.

Refined grains are modified grain or flour that goes through an intensive process to end up with a product that is different than their natural state. This includes bleaching, brominating, and adding different nutrients to re-enrich the grain, such as niacin and iron. Refined grains do not have fiber, have additional chemicals from the refining process, and have been modified so much that they do not have enough nutrients in them to be worth eating. These grains are usually bleached (like white flour), and artificially colored or flavored.

Incorporating Good Carbs Into Your Weight Loss Diet

When it comes to your weight loss program in Delray Beach, good carbohydrates will play a big role in giving you the energy needed for other aspects of the program, such as exercise. Strategically positioning your good carb and bad intake throughout the day will prevent you from crashing too soon. For example, spaghetti is considered a refined grain, but a little in moderation can make for a great meal. This type of refined grain is known to be make you sleepy. The carbohydrate is converted into glucose, which is burned as energy to produce adenosine triphosphate – also known as ATP. ATP is a chemical that binds with adenosine receptors, making you feel tired. Deciding to wait to eat refined grains for dinner can make it easier to sleep at night and keep you more awake during the day. Good carbs, like sugar from fruit, can be consumed throughout the day as natural energy boosters.

Baking on a diet can be tricky, but not impossible. When you are baking or consuming sugar, there are certain types that are sweeter than others that you can end up using less of to get the same level of sweetness. For example, honey and molasses are known for being sickly sweet, and just a small amount goes a long way.

Moderation Is Key

Humans need carbohydrates to live, and attempting to cut them completely out of your diet will end up draining your energy throughout the day. Once you accept carbs as a naturally occurring resource for energy, you can begin to seek out the good types in the food you eat. When you and your doctor are formulating your Delray Beach weight loss program, make sure to include these good carbs at the recommended dosages. Too much of anything will end up not giving you the results that you want. Learning to moderate your food intake is a valuable skill that will only get easier as you continue through your program.